On Tuesday, Washington became the second state to allow marijuana sales for recreational use. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Some business owners will make money by being first on the scene to sell recreational marijuana. However, take a look at USA TODAY's article on Atlantic City. The New Jersey town is going down and might not recover ("Once fabled Atlantic City hits free fall").

Discretionary spending takes a hit when people who don't have jobs can't spend money that they don't have. It doesn't matter if the recreation is something "wholesome" such as Disney World or something viewed less so, such as gambling or pot.

Jobs in recreational industries aren't a good basis for a strong economy in the long run. I hope these businesses put these quick profits in a bank account because the bust will follow.

— Carl Nordhielm

What about tourism? Lots of places make a lot of money from tourism, also known as recreation.

— Sandy Lender

I am wondering why some people are so eager to get stoned, and to help others get stoned. Also, I am sure that tobacco and alcohol sales taxes are a boon for the states, but when you count the expenses connected with treating the effects of those substances, the numbers aren't as positive. It will be the same with pot.

The police state is intimately connected with drug abuse. Once enough people are hooked on drugs, it will be easier to to strangle their freedom.

— Modesto Rodriguez Montes

Just because pot is legal doesn't mean you have to do it. Marijuana is still an intoxicating drug that can get you a DUI, or a disorderly citation.

The main good thing about the legalization of marijuana is that it takes the money out of the hands of the drug pushers who in turn buy guns and kill people.

— Wayne Wastier

As residents of the state of Washington, we voted and the referendum passed. The feds have decided to let things stand for now. Legalization of recreational marijuana was the choice of Washington residents, not all, but a majority.

If you are not a resident of this state, then stay out of it. Concern yourself with your own state's politics, and let us handle our own affairs. We're not perfect, but you can bet that no other state is, either.

— Robert Phallan

Letters to the editor:

Does the federal Bureau of Reclamation believe that marijuana will magically cease to exist if it denies water to farmers who grow it in states where it is legal? This latest example of federal reefer madness is bad news for the environment ("Fighting pot with water: Column").

We hear a lot about climate change, yet no one in the federal government seems to care that one of the biggest cash crops in the country is cultivated in secret suburban basements with artificial lights and massive carbon footprints. What goes on above ground is no improvement.

One day, legitimate farmers will produce marijuana by the ton under natural sunlight. When that day comes, the plant will plummet in value. This is important. Financial incentives drive destructive cultivation practices. Mexican drug cartels don't sneak into national forests to cultivate cucumbers and tomatoes. The sooner the federal government allows states to treat the marijuana plant as a legal agricultural commodity, the better.

Colorado thinks it's on the cutting edge because marijuana is legal and guns are openly carried ("At Colo. restaurant menu comes with armed waitresses"). Many Americans don't want to live in a state full of dopers and don't like gun nuts. Many Americans relocate. Many Americans spend tourist dollars. Some, like myself, will put quirky Colorado right there with high-crime Detroit, sweltering Houston, or ice-box International Falls, Minn., as places to avoid.